This invention relates to a Radio Frequency (RF) amplifier utilizing an intense relativistic electron beam (IREB) and more particularly to an RM amplifier utilizing an IREB modulated by an RF signal.
High power (e.g., 10.sup.9 Watts), high efficiency (e.g., 50%) RF amplifiers with high gain (e.g., 40 db), capable of operating in a frequency range including frequencies up to a specified frequency (e.g., up to 10 Gigahertz) are currently sought for various applications. Large particle accelerators, for example, can be driven by such an amplifier.
Commercially available high power RF amplifiers, such as klystrons, operate at power levels not exceeding about 100 megawatts with an efficiency on the order of 50%.